The federal election results last night have given us a completely new look in Ottawa with a Conservative Party majority and for the first time in Canadian history, an official opposition made up of the New Democratic Party.

These right and left wing camps are diametrically opposed in their political philosophies and many will foresee a fractious and partisan parliament in the the next four or five years.

However, back in June of 2008, when Prime Minister Harper made the government’s official apology to the former students of residential schools, he first specifically thanked NDP leader Jack Layton for his personal counsel and contribution in convincing him of the need for this apology.

This may be a good harbinger for future cooperation and dialogue between our two parliamentary leaders as they work to build a better future for all Canadians and it may signal a thawing of the personal animosity and adversarial attitudes that have paralyzed federal politics in Ottawa for too long.